The story of Ember Tantum
by violet mellark
Summary: This is some fan fiction that I am writing about foxface/Ember! Please tell me what you think! Good or bad I want to know! This is my first time writing fan fiction here I go...
1. Chapter 1

Hi my name I Ember Tantum. I live in district 5 the district of power. I am very fast and sneaky some people even say that i am as cunning as a fox. Tomorrow I the reaping I have had to Put my name in the drawing to go to the hunger games more than the usual times. I had todo this because between my five brothers and sisters there has not been a lot of food to spare. Me being the oldest I decided to take out tesserae. being 16 years old my name will be in the reaping ball 5 times. But with me taking out my name will be in 15 times. My father is a drunk and my mother never at home because she is a peacekeeper so she is never really home. So basically am the head of the family. to keep us going I do odd jobs around the district like delivering messages and other things like that.

My best friends name is Jacob he is a short somewhat weak boy most people make fun of him but I would never do that. Jacob is one of the younger of all of his brothers. His older brothers need more food so all of them have to take out tesserae. so his name will be in the same amount as me. I am even smaller that Jacob which is saying something. Some people also make fun of me because not only am I as cunning as i fox like I said before I somewhat look like one. The night before the reaping is a awful one. I have to take care of 5 little kids worried about what will happen if my name gets pulled. If I go to the capital and then the games my brother and sisters will surely perish. They will have nobody to take care of them. I shudder at the idea. I cannot show any sign of fear if I do they will all surely lose it. Maybe if I go to the games my mother will come back… maybe she can convince the head of her squad to dismiss her. She could always work at the power plant or wash clothes for a living. It does not happen very often but it has. Five children at home with a drunk father that may be enough for her to be dismissed.

As I finally get home from running messages for the richer people in our district see that the front door is wide open. This is not a rare thing to happens i do come home a lot with something out of place. Then I notice something else a window is broken. slowly I peer into the door. the next thing that I know a bottle has gone whizzing by my head just missing my bright red hair. Steeping into the house I am on my toes just waiting for another bottle to come but it doesn't. Finally I get a good look at what is going on it is just my dad and one of his stupid power plant worker friends. Ugh just what I need right now! To deal with this fight between my dad and some other knocked out drunk and my poor brothers and sisters. "DAD!" I yell "what are you doing?" he turns around drooling a little bit but he can hear me that is a good sign. "what" he says "who is man on our coach?" I somewhat yell. spurting very fast and very hard to hear he says "he owed me money". that is when I just walk away upstairs to see what the damage is to my brothers and sisters. Not much just the littlest is a bit shaken. I gather them in my arms and we hug for a very long time. Finally they have all be comforted and are ready to go downstairs to eat dinner. we shuffle down the starers eat quick. I do the dishes as one by one they scurry up stairs.

I tuck every single one of them in and kiss them goodnight. As soon as they are all sleep i climb into my own bed. When they are all asleep in safe and sound I realize that tomorrow will be one of the worst days I can imagine. Then if all asleep even though there are still some faint sounds of fighting from down stairs. But we are used to that and fall right to sleep. I have a dream about me as a fox and everybody else as animals that they look most like stand in the town square. Then my name is pulled. I run that is all I can think of todo. To make me stop running the peacekeepers take hold of all my siblings and put guns to their heads. I don't know what is happening until it is to late. One by one I watch as all of my brothers and sisters are shot in the head.


	2. Chapter 2

Then I wake up stretched in sweat. My dreams usually don'y get this far usually they just stop before the bad stuff happens. I can't help thinking it's a sign. A sign that i will be put into the games. I push that thought right out of my head. I need to get ready for the day. The reaping does not start till one o'clock. that means that i will have 6 hours to get everybody ready. I also will have to find some way to drag my dad down to the town square. It is a requirement have you are in the square even if you are a adult and your name is not in the drawing. The only way that you can avoid going is if you are dying which nobody usually is. In our district you might have noticed that people have a lot of kids. People don't go hungry as much here because they have so many kids that can take out tesserae. I find it sick that people will have kids so that they won't go hungry. Then they will not even take care of them. I am talking mostly to my dad when i say this. My mom had to become a peacekeeper it was really the only thing that could keep our family going. She knew even though I look weak I could take care of our family and I have so I guess it all works out. Sometimes I just wish it could go back to the way it was. Me, my mom with us, my not drunk dad, and my wonderful brothers and sisters. But I know that this will never happen.

The hours pass by quickly and before I know it "all citizens must report to the center of the district" blares across the loud speaker. One last giant hug and we start to walk to the middle of the district. Just as instructed. My dad has taken the liberty of being somewhat sober for the reaping. Sometimes I think he does this because he really does care and if one of us gets picked he does not want to wake up the next morning not knowing that one if his kids has been shipped off to the capital. We sign in then me and the oldest besides me Lillybell takes out places. The other littler kids go and stand off to the side with my dad. I realize a second to late that I am so anxious that I am shaking. Lillybell notices and I can tell that she is even more nervous now then before. I turn to her and say don't worry nothing will ever happen to you I promise. Those are my last words to her before the escort sheshe lolo steps on staff and starts to talk.

"First before we get to the fun of seeing who will be in the 74th hunger games let's put our ears up so that we can hear the counts history" she says. It is so strange hoe the people from the capital talk it is like they talk in sayings not using words and when they do use words they are strange. Nobody ever listens to the history but me. I feel like there is a glitch in our history that it is made up or something. That is why I always listen to see if something will slip or not be the same but it always is. The escorts name the one that pulls and pulls out the names name is sheshe.

After that is done you can just see how excited sheshe is she might as well be jumping up and down and giggling! But of course she does not do that. Sheshe shuffles over to the boys bowl. It is a miracle that she can move her clothes are so tight and her shoes must he ten inches tall. I always find it Weird that she does the boys first in most districts it is ladies first but not in ours. I just have time to wish it is not jacob before the name is read. "Dapple" sheshe says. No I think it myself not dapple! I know that it is a funny name but this is no time to think about how funny a name is. Dapple is a boy that I have loved forever nobody knows only me. I have loved him since the very first day of fifth grade when people were making fun of me looking like a fox. No no no no! I think why him he is one of the nicest and moat wonderful people ever. He slowly walks up on the platform he looks strong but I can see fear behind his eyes. sheshe says "dapple Johnson will be our boy tribute for district 5 in the 74th hunger games.

Then it is time for the girls. I hold my breath as sheshe pulls out a little slip of paper and reads the name. "Ember Tantum". I almost fait as a realize my name was pulled I am going to the capital. I slowly turn and start to make my way to the platform. Then my dad jumps up out of his seat and comes running towards me. Before he can get to me though peacekeepers tackle him. When I am up on the platform I know that there is fear behind my eyes to. Wow we must look like really easy targets right now. "well let's go children" sheshe says. She takes us into the justice building. We each to our own rooms where we will each get 1 hour to say goodbye to our Faimly. I just don't know what I am going todo when my Faimly comes


	3. Chapter 3

I know that the next hour I will have to try to be strong so that I don't worry anybody. I just can't believe it out of thousands of slips one of my fifteen was chosen. The first to come in is my brothers and sisters and strangling behind my dad. I bet he is glad that he was sober. We all hug and tell each other that we love each other. Than I walk up to my dad I give him a hug then slap him across the face. He starts to protest but then he gives up. "take care of them okay stop drinking please" I say. "I'll try it's hard" he says. "I really don't care how hard it is stop!" I kind of shout. "fine I'll stop" he says "thank you I say I love you" I say. Then our time is up so they have to go.

Next us Jacob I know that I can cry so I cry a little then he has to go. I will miss him a lot. Before he goes I tell him "take care of them". "of course" he says "I would never let them starve if I could do something. Anyway I will have to help out for a while because you are going to win" he says. I love how he thinks I can win. "bye" we both say then he is yanked out of the room.

For the first time since my name was pulled I wonder if I could come home. I take stock of my skills I am very very very good at knowing what plants to eat and not eat, I am also very sly and fast, last thing is figuring out stuff. If you think about it I might be able to get pretty far into the games. Maybe If I make it far into the games it will give my fiamly hope to survive. I just hope they can.

My next guest comes in and it is a great surprise. It is my mom I run into her arms and tell her that I love her. She says that she loves me to. I ask her how she got here? She says that she was transported in a hovercraft because she ha the right to say good bye to her daughter since she was going into the hunger games. Then I ask her the question that ha been in my mind this whole time. "what will happen to them". She sighs then says "I already talked to my squads leader and she says that I can be dismissed". I can't help but smile that gives me some hope. Maybe my brothers and sisters will not perish. Then just like everybody else she is told that is has to leave. She kisses me on the forehead tells me she loves me and I tell her that I love her then she leaves


	4. Chapter 4

After a while sheshe a dapple come in and we get into a car that takes us to the train station. There are a lot of cameras. I wish there were not so many then maybe I could relax a little but since all of panem will be watching this I try to look bored and strong. I doubt it works though I have never been very good at hiding my feelings. Once we are on the train I feel like I can relax a bit more but not much more. We sit down with our mentors one women and on man. These are our only about 5 winners for district 5 that are still alive we had some more but they died. In most districts the two people that won the hunger hames the last time are the mentors. We are in the middle not 50 mentors like districts 1 and 2. But not 1 like district 12 or something that usually on has one. The women's name is darla and the mans name is Fisk. We talk about what we are good at and how we can survive. I am surprised that the mentors think I could get very far if I learned how to be more of I killer. I don't want to be a killer. When we get to the capital we will have about 3 days to training then we will be put in the games. I might be able to learn some killing skills the. I will be come a killer if i means that u can get home. But privately i decide to go by my wits more than killing people. When we start to talk about dapple skills we find out that he is very good with lighting fires and knives. His grandfather had won one of the hunger games and taught dapple some skills. Then to both of us Fisk says to not try and fight at the cornucopia to get a backpack and run. He says that sometimes the only food or water that can be eaten or drank will be in a backpack. Then he stresses that we should not get cocky and go for a backpack in the center of the cornucopia grab one along the outside. He also tells us that once we get to the capital and get a look at the other tributes we can look out for some allies. "Allies are always a good place to start when you want to be a victor" darla says. I think I remember darla's year well I remember her being crowned and her interview. I remember the interview because that was the year that Caesar flickerman had yellow hair. It was very funny he looked like he some strange yellow sauce swirled on the top of his head. I also remember her interview because her angle that she played was scared and shy but then in the arena she was anything but scared and shy.

Dinner is next but I don't really remember any of it. I do remember that it was really awkward. Sheshe is trying to be all cheerful but the rest of us knew that there was nothing to be cheerful about. Then she says the most inconsiderate thing ever "if you don't win you will have passed down the chance to be mentor of the quarter quell next year that would be such a shame". Wow that is a awful thing to say it is not like we will have passed down the honor we were just no able to survive. After dinner I go to sleep but my thoughts keep me awake. I just can't stop thinking about what is going on at home. Is everything okay did my dad stop drinking or did he get over come with sadness at the thought that he will probably watch me die. I do know that my mom will be taking care of my brothers and sisters. I go to sleep knowing that when I wake up I will be at the capital and dreading it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I was very lucky last night I did not have nightmares or I just don't remember them. The funny thing is that I don't wake up in the train bed I wake up in a capital bed. I guess that our train got to the capital in the middle of the night and moved us into our rooms at the training center. I don't spend much time thinking about this though. I get out of bed and start to open up all I'd the drawers looking for clothing. It is crazy how much stuff is in these closets and drawers. I think about how sometimes my brothers and sisters go days wearing the same clothing because I am to busy working on keeping us alive to find time to wash their clothes. It makes me hate being here even more.

When I am dressed I go down stairs. I am the second person there the other person is dapple. Ugh I think to myself I really don't want to deal with this right now. Grabbing I plate I fill it with food then sit down across from dapple. "hi" I say there is along pause then he says "hello". "what's the matter" I say. "I just never wanted to have to kill anyone" he says. I purse my lips not knowing what todo. "well I know I never did either but it is that or getting killed" I say. "I know but still" he says. Then our awkward conversation is interrupted by Fisk coming in. I am somewhat glad I did not really know hat to say. "good morning" Fisk says. "good morning" me and dapple say quietly. "So today you will be cleaned up for the tribute parade tonight" Fisk says. "Ember your stylist will be Charice and dapple your stylist will be Ben Dover" Darla says coming in. She sits down and turns around raising here eyebrows like she is waiting for something and claps. These two little people who I guess are Ben Dover and Charice run in. They sit down and start talking about the outfits for tonight. I am not paying any attention though. I do hear some snip-its about lights and power plant worker uniforms but that is all.

Then Charice takes me into a room with strange furniture that looks uncomfortable to sit on. "Sit down" Charice says in her high capital voice. I sit and I was right the chairs hard to sit on. ''sooo" I say. "what is the plan for tonight?". " I think we are going todo power plant workers with little lights". says Charice. "I like that idea" I say smiling for the first time today. "Thank you me and Ben Dover we were going for power plant workers but in a pretty way". Charice makes me stand and measures me about a million times. That takes about a half and hour. After that is done Charice just stands there and looks at me without my robe on. "What are you doing?" I ask her. "Ohh just getting a feel for you body and how you stand". Then hurries me out of the room I go to lunch and eat chicken and orange sauce. Dapple and Fisk are not at lunch but Darla is. "How's you outfit going" she asks wickedly. "Good I am just glad that I am not going to be naked" I say. "yeah that is what everybody says".

"Ember come on in" wickedly says. I go into a room where my prep team cleans me and waxes my whole body. It takes a really long time to clean me all the way. When they are done I feel as clean as I ever have. Then I ma shuffled into the room with the strange furniture agin. Charice is there holding the most amazing dress I have ever seen. "Wow" I gasp. "It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen". She slips it over my head and I just feel like a capital person like I have no cares in the world. The fabrics are so silky and it feels amazing! I can't stand how much I love my dress and I give Charice a hug. "well you like it then" she says. Then it is time togo and Charice is pushing me out the door. we get into a elevator and we go down the the bottom floor.

The elevator arrives in this big room with 12 carriages with 2 horses attached to each. Dapple is standing to the 5th carriage. The for I flash I see that boy that I fell in love with after he stood up for me. He is wearing a suit with lights on it just like my dress. "We kind of match but I have a dress and you have a suit" I say to dapple. "HaHa yeah kind of" he says with the first smile I have seen since the reaping. The Ben Dover, Charice, Darla, and Frisk come over and tell us to be calm. Then the chariot starts to move. The lights on my dress and Dapple's suit light up. And i start to freak out..


	6. Chapter 6

_I don't know why but I feel like jumping off the carriage. "I don't like this" I say to Dapple. "I know want to hold hands so nobody falls out?" he says. OH MY GOSH! Did he rally just ask me that? I have been waiting for this my whole life. "Sure I bet that would really help" I say. Then our hands touch are I interlace my fingers with his. Then I realize who much I want him. Then I snap out of my dream of wanting Dapple to wave and smile to the crowd as we go around and stop. President snow comes out and gives a speech about how he thanks us for our sacrifice. But most of the district except the babied 1 and 2 districts know this is bull shit. Once we back to the carriage/horse room our stylist and our mentors congratulate us on our performance. _

_We all get into a elevator and arrive on our floor. It is time for dinner but I am not really hungry. All I can think about is what I am going to say to Dapple when we get away from the grow-ups. I think I will tell him about how long I have loved him and just be honest. After what feels like hours Frisk says that we should all go to bed. Yes! I think to myself now I can tell him. Me and Dapple walk down the hall to our rooms. "Dapple I have to tell you something" I say. "Ember I have to tell you something to" he says. "okay you go first" I say really nervous about want he is going yo say. "Ember do you remember that day that those kids were making fun of you for looking like a fox and I stood up for you?" He says. "Yes" I say hanging on every word he says. "Well ever since then I have been totally in love with you" Dapple says. "Dapple I have been in love with you to… ever since that same day" I whisper. I try to keep talking but he stops me by kissing me full on the lips. I try to keep form screaming because I am dying inside. He pulls away smiling "We should get out of this hallway before anybody gets the wrong idea" he says. "Yeah totally" I say but all I can think of is ripping off his clothes. Dapple picks he up and takes me into his room and lays me on the bed. "Are you okay with this" he says. "Are you kidding I have been waiting for this for years" I say. The talking stops as he takes my dress off and I take his pants off. When my bra comes off the real thing starts Because after the bra comes his under wear then my underwear and before I know anything I feel him inside me. By the time we are done I wonder if the whole training center heard us. But then I don"t really care I am going to die in the games any way. Why shouldn't I enjoy my last few days? The only talking that happens for the rest of the night are groans of happiness. _

_When I wake up the next morning I can't remember what happened once I feel Dapple's arm around me I remember everything. I sigh remembering what happened my sigh wakes dapple up. "Good morning" I say smiling sweetly. "Good morning beautiful" he says pulling me down for a long kiss. "I love you" he says. "I love you too but i have to go back to my room interviews tonight so we are going to have a long down of prep for them." I say. "okay I wish you didn't have to go" he says. Could he be any more prefect I can'y help thinking. "I know" I say. Then we say good bye in a very friendly way and I go to my room. Is this happening or am I just dreaming? I pinch myself a few times to make sure that I am not dreaming. I can't even believe this is happening! How is this happening? These are some of the many thoughts go through my head as I get dressed and go downstairs. I can't wait to see Dapple then I think about it some and discover that we are keeping our new found relationship on the down low. So not making out at breakfast as much as I would like._


	7. Chapter 7

chapter 7

I really don't know what has gotten into me I am usually scared of everything as long as it has nothing todo with my brothers and sisters. When I get downstairs I am the first one. I get a plate fill it with food sit down and begin to eat. In about 15 minutes Frisk comes in. "Well your up early" he says. "Yes I guess so. What are we " doing today?" I ask him. "Today we are going to work on your angle" he says. "You mean how I will present my personality to get sponsors?" I say. "Yup. You will work with Sheshe on how to act like a lady and Darla on your angle" he says. Oh great I think I am going to have to spend a couple of hours with the most annoying person ever! "Okay that sounds helpful" I say in a fake voice. Just then Dapple comes in. I have no idea how to act with him now. Good thing we talked about keeping us a secret or this would be really strange. I smile when he sits down and he smiles back. I just can't get my mind around what he told me last night that he has loved me as long as I have loved him. If only he and I had told each other sooner then we would not just have had a couple days together we would have had years. "Hi Dapple have you heard what we are going todo today yet?" I say. "No I don't. What are we going todo today?" he says. I let Frisk tell him about what we are going todo today. "So me and Ember will not be together today at all?" he asks Frisk. "No. Just with your stylist, prep team, mentor, and escort." frisk says. We talk for a while more but just about the weather and what we think the games will be like. Tomorrow is training for 3 days then right into the games. I only have 4 nights with Dappple when he do not have to worry about someone dying or getting hurt. "Well have you kids had enough food we can get started" Frisk says. We both say were done.

Then I am escorted out of the room to a room full of shoes and puffy dresses and of course Sheshe. "Well hello! Ready to be turned into a little lady?" Sheshe asks me. "Yes I am" I say. Sheshe makes me put on these shoes that are so high I don't know how any walks in these without killing themselves. "We have about 3 hours don't worry you will learn how todo everything" Sheshe says. Ugh I will have to be here in this torture chamber for 3 hours! But Sheshe is right after about a hour I learn how to somewhat walk around in high heels. But still I really hope that I will not have to wear high hells for the interview tonight. Next Sheshe makes me put on the puffiest dress I have ever seen. It is nothing like the one I wore for the tribute parade. He teaches me how to hold my dress and sit in my dress and how todo a million things with my dress. To be honest I was thinking about how to hold my dress I was thinking about how me and Dapple will never make it out of the arena together. Just the couple of days is all we will ever have. Finally I am done with Sheshe and it is lunch time. I am hoping that it will just be me and Dapple. When I get to the dinning room I find that it is just Dapple siting there by himself. When I walk inn his face lights up. Then he jumps out of him chair and pulls out a chair for me then pushes it in when I sit down. "Wow thank you" I exclaim . "Anything for you in these last few days together" he says in his dreamy voice that reminds me why I have always loved him. "You are amazing you know that right?" I say. "Yes I did know that but I also know that you are more amazing then anything" he says. After our lunch that just makes my heart want to melt it is time to go back to rehearsing for tonight.

"Hello there" Darla says when I come into the room that we are going to work in. "What is my personality going to be" I ask. "You don't think it is obvious?" she asks. "No" I say kind of felling dumb. "You are going to be sly like a fox" she says. "Ohh cool I did think it was going to be something like that" I say. "Well you know how to act sly and clever and witty right? she says. "Sure" and I do some examples for her. "Good I guess we are done them she says like she is bored with me. "okay where do I go" I ask. "You go down the hall to the last door where your prep team will be waiting for you" she says. "Bye then" I say.

While I ma walking down the hall I wonder why Darla was acting so strange. I bet it is just hard to get kids ready to go die every year. Then with a sickening feeling I realize that if I win this thing that will be my job..


End file.
